Asm. Scott Bendett

Deems home instruction which is compliant with the provisions of article 65 of the education law and the home instruction requirements prescribed in the commissioner of education's regulations to be substantially equivalent in amount and quality to the instruction given to students of like age and attainments at the public schools of the city or district where the student resides.

Relates to providing loan forgiveness for agriculture educators who provide didactic instruction to students about agriculture, food, and natural resources.

Defines the practice of certified registered nurse anesthetist; requires collaboration with a licensed physician qualified to determine the need for anesthesia services; requires licensing; defines qualifications.

Authorizes the department of environmental conservation to issue special airport air strike hazard permits when the department finds that wildlife has become a nuisance, destructive to public or private property or a threat to public health or welfare.

Establishes the school safety specialist act; establishes a certification and training program for school safety specialists; outlines the roles and duties of school safety specialists.

Makes life imprisonment without parole mandatory for defendants convicted of murder in the first degree or second degree and the victim is a police officer, peace officer, first responder or correctional officer.

Maddy summaryBill A-154 provides a 100% real property tax exemption for agricultural lands used to grow bio-energy crops (specifically crops for cellulosic ethanol processing) for alternative fuel. It directly affects farmers who produce these designated crops, exempting their land from local taxes (village, town, city, county, or school district) based on assessed value. To qualify, landowners must submit proof to the taxing authority showing compliance, and applications must be filed by the taxable status date. The exemption expires five years after the law takes effect.

Maddy summaryBill A 2697 requires public school students participating in interscholastic athletics to provide a yearly cardiac fitness certificate. This applies to students in seventh grade or those who will turn thirteen during the school year. The certificate must be signed by a licensed medical professional and include the results of an electrocardiogram or echocardiogram. It must also describe the student's cardiac fitness and state if any heart conditions could lead to severe adverse health outcomes during athletic activity.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 50% property tax exemption for real estate used as a licensed child day care facility, as defined by state social services law. The exemption is optional for local governments - counties, cities, towns, or school districts must pass a local law to adopt it after a public hearing. Property owners operating qualifying day cares would see their tax bill reduced by half, but the exemption ends if the property stops being used for child care. Localities may also choose to limit the exemption to less than 50% through separate local laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides state reimbursement to municipalities in Rensselaer County for lost property tax revenue caused by reduced property values due to contamination from the Dewey Loeffel Landfill. Affected municipalities can apply annually for reimbursement of the difference between original and reduced property valuations, certified by their chief fiscal officer. The state will pay this amount each year until the landfill is removed from the state hazardous waste site inventory. The bill specifically applies only to properties impacted by this named landfill, not other contamination sources.